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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · tube · kick · capital · last · cue · lie · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. last — to go on
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cue — for pool
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. capital — a city
  9. kick — in football
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. cue — a hint
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. last — finally
  15. fall — to drop
  16. last — final
  17. lie — to recline
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. tube — the underground
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. fall — the season
  22. capital — money
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cue — a signal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com